


Guiding Light

by Jam Blute (CrookedCompass)



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Gay, Gay Male Character, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-10-13 01:08:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20573951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrookedCompass/pseuds/Jam%20Blute
Summary: Terra and Riku have come a long way, and they both have a special someone to thank. Riku goes to Terra for a heart-to-heart on the matter.





	Guiding Light

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a gift for a friend who isn't on AO3, this fic is a little on the short and sweet side, but I hope you all enjoy it too!

Returning to Ventus and Aqua was more than Terra ever hoped for. He truly thought he’d never be at their side again, never to train or sit beneath the same stars. But here he was after training with Aqua and Ventus, taking a seat outside the café in Twilight Town like any normal person would. They were there to get ready for the coming battle against Xehanort, but… Terra couldn’t resist a smile, however small.

“Terra,” Riku interrupted his thoughts. He had a hand of the back of the chair across from Terra and he gestured to it with his free hand. “Mind if I join you?”

“Of course not.” Seeing Riku grown up was… Time was hard to keep track of after all Terra went through. So he was careful to look at Riku as naturally as he could, not showing any disbelief he might be feeling.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you, but it’s been—” Riku shook his head and Terra nodded. He knew all too well what Riku meant.

“Crazy, I know. It still doesn’t feel real some days.” He knew Aqua felt the same sometimes, but she worked through her troubles in her own way. And it didn’t work the same way for Terra. In the short silence afterwards, he had time to wonder why Riku wanted to talk— and he was sure it had to do with his own fall to Darkness. “I heard about what happened with you, Riku. I’m just glad you found your way back to the light. I took too long, but… I came back because of Ven.”

Riku breathed a laugh, a sure sign Terra hit the nail on the head. At least for one of the thoughts weighing on the younger Keybearer. “And Sora helped me.”

“The two of them are amazing, aren’t they?” He’d also heard of Sora protecting Ven’s heart while he slept and recovered, so he had to believe the bright-eyed friend of Riku’s was a lot like Ven. “Shining on everyone they meet like a million lanterns.”

“Or all the stars on a clear night,” Riku added, lost in his own thoughts for a second. A shadow crossed his eyes and his brow furrowed before he looked Terra in the eye. “When you were in the Darkness…”

“Every light I saw, I thought it was him.” In just a glance, Terra could tell Riku had the same experience when he was overcome by Darkness. They were alike in more ways than one, but to think he had to go through that alone across strange worlds, wishing he had the person he loved most at his side… It was all he could do to encourage Riku now. “Even when it wasn’t him, just the thought of him…” Terra trailed off, resting back against the chair. “I lost my body, my friends, and my home, but they couldn’t extinguish my heart.” He put his hand over his chest, continuing. “And it’s all because of Ven. I have him to thank for coming home.”

Riku smiled, propping his elbows up on the table between them. “We only met for a short time, Terra, but I knew we had a lot in common. I just didn’t know it was being lucky enough to have someone so bright to guide us home when we’d lost the way.”

“To have them love us.” Terra smiled at Riku’s surprise. He saw the moments Riku shared with Sora, and he recognized their bond as the one he shared with Ven. Even now, Terra was surprised himself that Ven asked him out. Maybe it was selfish, but he said yes because he couldn’t bring himself to say Ven could do better. “That’s another part that doesn’t feel real. But I’ll do my best to deserve it. To deserve him.”


End file.
